REVIEW: Mike Posner’s Unplugged Tour Rocks Philadelphia

Have you ever wanted Mike Posner to play in your living room? If you were at the World Cafe Live tonight in Philadelphia then he pretty much did. Urban / Pop / EDM / Hip-Hop artist / songwriter / producer / performer / engineer / musician Mike Posner took to Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live tonight for the first stop on his Unplugged Tour. This wasn’t your average Mike Posner show and it certainly wasn’t your average Unplugged show. Armed with an Apple Macbook, a piano and occasionally his guitarist Jake Moses, Posner delved into his deep catalog of songs to give the sold out crowd an amazing, heartfelt night.

Opening with My Light, (Posner made ‘My Light‘ available as a free download for his fans – grab it here) you immediately knew that you were in for something special. From there it was a mix of hits, favorites, new songs from his upcoming album ‘Pages‘ and songs he’s written for other artists (most notably: Justin Bieber’s megahit Boyfriend). Posner smoothly transitioned from one song to the next and the crowd loved every second of it.

He took to the piano for a fun, upbeat version of Drake’sStarted From The Bottom (which Posner recently covered with Asher Roth, T Mills and others). He spoke about the depression he has dealt with which he expressed through “Save Your Goodbye” off of his debut album 31 Minutes To Takeoff, before performing an absolutely stunning version of the song. To mix it up a little, Posner read a poem he had written titled “Gratitude” which gives thanks to the influences in his life. There was not a dry eye in the house, including Posner himself, who asked to take a short break.

Upon his return he invited questions from the audience (a few of which were of the “I want a picture!” and “Marry Me!” variety). One question was in regards to following your dreams. Posner related his own gut feeling that spoke to him. Another question asked what his greatest songwriting accomplishment was – charts aside. Posner jokingly stated “it’s always your latest song” before mentioning “Save Your Goodbye” and the Labrinth and Emeli Sande hit he wrote “Beneath Your Beautiful“. The question also triggered Posner to go off of his planned setlist to sing a new song titled ‘Hell of a Song’ (or ‘Helluva Song’) which explains his life as a songwriter.

For the final quarter of the show, Posner went for a series of hits and fan favorites which had people on their feet and jumping, including all three of his solo Top 40 Billboard hits from his debut album. Cooler Than Me, his part dance, part Urban-Pop kiss off (and mega hit) closed the show.

Funny, introspective and very smart, Posner shined throughout his set. He was truly thriving in this intimate setting, which is a stark contrast from the arenas he usually plays. Interacting with fans (at one point, he grabbed a fan’s phone and sang into their video recording), explaining the stories behind some of his songs and most importantly being very vulnerable, he is truly one of the most gifted artists of our time.

Mike Posner’s Unplugged Tour is honest, fun, inspiring, heartbreaking, funny, intimate and spontaneous. It will not only have you singing and dancing along, but will have you thinking as well. It is everything a show should be and more.